Archaeologists and Historians Worry That a Treasure Trove of Historical Artifacts Will Become a Casualty of the Conflict.

BAGHDAD—Archaeologists and historians worry that a treasure trove of historical artifacts and monuments are on the verge of becoming a casualty of the conflict in Iraq.

Sunni insurgents who took over Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and the antiquities-rich Nineveh province that surrounds it have published a decree announcing that they would destroy graves, shrines and other objects that offend their strict interpretation of...